Personal Narrative: The Great Compromiser

I am known for the "American System" and known as the "Great Compromiser," however I have accomplished and been through so much more than that. Born in 1777 in Hanover County, Virginia, I was exposed to American history since I was young. In 1797, I moved to Kentucky along with many others wanting to pursue careers in law and politics. My political career began in 1803 when I was elected to the Kentucky General Assembly then appointed to the U.S. Senate in 1806. I was Secretary of State under John Quincy Adams.
In 1828, Andrew Jackson captured presidency and I temporarily left politics. I was not glad to be in the Senate while Jackson was president. We were often conflicted and people sided with him. I remained in the Senate, but became the head of the Whig Party. I continued to be in conflict causing me to …show more content…
We had our pistols ready for the duel. I felt nervous because my life would could be lost after this, but I have been in a duel before and I felt that Randolph would not defeat me.
“Pht!” I heard the sound of a pistol fire. Randolph fired before it started, I thought it must have been a misfire. We then both fired, but missed. We readied our pistols again and shot. I heard Randolph shot go in the air while my shot got very close to him. I noticed his intent-- he was not participating, he was not planning to hurt me. I stopped the duel. This was a strange duel, for we then parted on agreeable terms.
I have now returned to the Senate in poor health, and am working out the Compromise of 1850. My contributions to this compromise along with the Missouri Compromise and the Tariff Compromise earned me the title of “Great Compromiser.”
Clay died on June 29, 1852 from tuberculosis. He was the first to receive the honor of being laid in the Capitol rotunda, and he was buried in Lexington,